Santa Rosa Junior College Women's Soccer Team Defeats Las Positas College in Playoffs

The Santa Rosa Junior College (SRJC) "Cubs" women's soccer team earned a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Las Positas College in the first round of playoffs on Saturday.

The Cubs had a scoring opportunity in the seventh minute when striker Taylor Gandy's shot was saved by Las Positas College goalkeeper Mia Lemus. It wasn't until the 38th minute when Las Positas had a free kick opportunity just outside the box that the Cubs tied the game. However, SRJC goalkeeper Juliana Santiago made a key save to tie the game.

In the 45th minute, SRJC forward Shay Dougherty received a yellow card for a foul. Las Positas continued to attack, but Santiago's goalkeeping prevented them from scoring.

SRJC replaced Santiago with Tyler Brogdon on the stroke of halftime and the Cubs came close to scoring in the 49th minute when a header hit the post. Shortly after, SRJC forward Olivia Parlato's shot also hit the post, but she capitalized on the rebound to add to the score, giving SRJC a 1-0 lead.

SRJC controlled the game for much of the second half, determined to extend its lead. Las Positas applied pressure in the final 20 minutes, desperately seeking an equalizer.

Due to the rainy weather, the field was slippery, adding to the intensity of the game. Players from both teams made numerous shoveling attempts and fought for every possession.

SRJC Head Coach Crystal Chaidez praised the team's preparation for the wet weather." We planned for this, especially the players who took the field before us. We had a great field, much better than we thought we would. I don't think it will affect our goals," she said.

SRJC effectively defended its lead in the final minutes of the game, thwarting Las Positas' attempts to tie the game. The final whistle blew and the Cubs emerged victorious, advancing to the next round of the playoffs.

SRJC's defense once again played well to earn their 9th goal of the season, and Childers emphasized how this win was a team effort." It's going to be a team effort. The playoffs are for everyone, whether it's the coaches, the players on the bench, the players on the field or the players on the bench, everyone is involved in some way," she said.